Clinton for Vice President?

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | July 22, 2012

No. 889

The internet is jumping with rumors of a Vice-Presidential switch for Hillary Clinton.  The Washington Post says this talk will not die.  Her poll numbers are high and she would definitely bring something to the campaign.

If the President were to change running mates in 2012, it would be a loud statement that his re-election was in serious trouble — which it isn’t.  However there are plenty of good reasons why Hillary Clinton might want to be Vice President.

1.  As Secretary of State she is very busy.  As Vice President she can have as much or as little to do in the government as she pleases.  That would enable her to spend most of her time putting the Clinton political organization back together for 2016 and campaigning for Democratic candidates around the country.

2.  No former Secretary of State has won the Presidency since James Buchanan. Many former Vice Presidents have won, including sitting Vice Presidents.  The last was George H W Bush.

3. Regardless of what she says, she still wants to be President.  That passion, once acquired, does not easily go away. Moreover, she undoubtedly does not view other potential Presidential contenders in both parties to be in her class.

4.  Seven Vice Presidents have succeeded to the Presidency in mid-term, three times in the Nineteenth and four times in the Twentieth Century.  In the Nineteenth Century, there was John Tyler, Andrew Johnson and Chester Arthur. In the Twentieth, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson and Gerald Ford.   The odds aren’t that bad  — almost 1 in 6.

5.  She is married to Bill Clinton. As a team, they are without precedent in American Politics.  The Clintons may have come up short in 2008, but they learn from experience.

CLT

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CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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